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It seems like the Chicago Police Department is attempting to cast doubt on Jussie Smollett’s story of a racist and homophobic assault. Yesterday, Chicago writer Emily Zanotti claimed that the Chicago Police Department has subpoenaed Jussie Smollett’s phone records.
The tweet came after the two men who were seen on the surveillance video are determined to be homeless and having no connection to Smollett.
Later, Fox 32 reporter Rafer Weigel quoted the Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said that Smollett will be held accountable if they find he was lying about the attack and made a false report.
At this point, with few leads about the people who attacked him, the Chicago police claim that they are trying to match the rope around Smollett’s neck to other surveillance video to see if they can determine where it was purchased.
Ok, great.
Personally, the suggestion that Smollett might have been faking his assault is problematic at this stage. By law, anyone who files a false police report will be held accountable. So it’s strange that they would put this idea out into the world.
Just keep investigating until all possibilities have been exhausted.
I can’t for the life of me think of a reason why Smollett would lie about such a thing and then involve the police. And until it is absolutely proven that he did, the suggestion shouldn’t be thrown out there.
See what a few people have to say about all of this on the following pages, including a thread of the police department’s inconsistencies from activist DeRay McKesson.
